Stay by my side
by MrsCatherineWinter
Summary: "Sebastian?" "Yes?" "Are demons able to love?" What a strange question, the butler thought, but answered nonetheless. "Yes, sometimes they are." The boy gulped before whispering: "Are you… able to love?" One heart-beat, two, then an almost soft: "Yes, I am."


_First of all, I have to admit that I am not a native speaker, so there might be a few mistakes, but if you were so kind as to write me a message to tell me of them, I would immediately correct them._

 _Disclaimer: All characters belong to Yana Toboso and I don't earn my money with these stories._

 **Stay by my side**

Sebastian looked anxiously at his young master. They had attended an important funeral today – Lady Elizabeth's. She had died in a terrible carriage accident three days ago. No one could have helped her. It had been a huge shock for the young Earl to receive the news that his fiancée had died. He hadn't spoken a single word since then.

Sebastian had assumed he would cry, for most humans cry at such a loss, but not his young master. Ciel had merely done nothing at all. All these past days he had looked outside the window or stared into nothingness. Whenever Sebastian spoke to him, he either ignored him at all or simply nodded or shook his head. It seemed as if the loss of his Lizzy had made him utterly speechless.

Now the funeral was over, Lady Elizabeth's body was buried, her grave over and over littered with her favourite flowers (pink roses) and her family and friends left alone in this cruel and complicated world.

Ciel and Sebastian had returned to the Phantomhive Mansion where the butler thought it best that his young master would go straight to bed. Still the Earl hadn't said a word and Sebastian began to worry about his wellbeing.

"I know that this loss is not easy for you, young master," he therefore addressed the subject while changing Ciel for bed. "But death is a normal part of life."

One blue eye stared at him emotionless.

"The dead are gone, forever," Sebastian continued. "But the living still exist and it does not do to mourn the dead while forgetting to live yourself."

Still no reply. What if his young master would lose his brilliant mind over this?

Sebastian sighed and stood up. He tucked Ciel in, oppressed the urge to stroke the boy's cheek and said: "Sleep now, young master, and tomorrow the world will look brighter again." Wasn't that ironic? A demon telling a human that his life will be better?

Just as Sebastian wanted to leave his master's chamber, however, he was stopped by a whispered: "Sebastian?" Relief flooded through the demon – finally Ciel was speaking again. "Yes, my lord?" he replied.

"Stay by my side."

The butler couldn't hide a smile. "Until you fall asleep?" Just like old times.

"No."

The demon narrowed his eyes in confusion, and then widened them at these next words:

"The whole night."

Sebastian came nearer to the bed again. "Is that an order?"

Ciel lay on his back, looking straight at the ceiling. "No," he said. His gaze went over to his butler. "It's a favour." Then the boy slid over to one side of the bed and lifted the blanket, so that Sebastian could lie next to him.

"I don't know if -," Sebastian started but was interrupted by a quiet, rather desperate:

"Please."

The butler finally nodded, blew out the candles and lay down next to his young protégé. They were both lying on their sides so that they could look at each other's face, while the moon spent enough light (not that the demon would have needed it), and their heads were on the same level as if they were of the same height which suddenly made them almost equal.

For a while they merely looked each other in the eyes. "I have been pondering about something for the last days," Ciel finally spoke. "And I came to realise what is important to me."

So that was why his young master hadn't said a word, Sebastian understood. He was thinking. And apparently about very deep issues. "Is that so, my lord?" He could have teased the boy now but he didn't dare in fear that he would fall into silence again.

Ciel nodded but remained silent for quite a while.

Sebastian hoped that his young master would fall asleep soon, for he bitterly needed the rest, but Ciel apparently had something more to say.

"Sebastian?"

"Yes?"

"Are demons able to love?"

What a strange question, the butler thought, but answered nonetheless. "Yes, sometimes they are."

The boy gulped before whispering: "Are you… able to love?"

One heart-beat, two, then an almost soft: "Yes, I am."

Red eyes looked into a blue one. Steady, intense, mesmerizing.

Ciel's breathing became heavier and faster until he slowly lifted his hand. It trembled for a few seconds in the air before it came to rest gently on Sebastian's cheek.

The demon stared shocked at the boy but didn't move.

"You are important to me," his master than said sincerely. "Very important."

For the first time in his long life, Sebastian had no idea what to say. Instead he kept on staring in shock: Never before had someone said something this kind and lovely. His young master could not mean, what Sebastian thought he meant, could he? The demon cleared his throat before clarifying: "You mean I am important to you to fulfill your plans, as a weapon, or to even stay alive?"

Then Ciel did something he hadn't done for quite some time: He smiled, genuinely. "No. You are important to me as a person. Because I never want to lose you. Because I like you, … love you." Still his hand was on the demon's face, and the fingers started now to stroke his cheek softly.

Sebastian didn't feel uncomfortable, only confused. But before he could reply anything, Ciel continued seriously.

"You swore an oath to never lie to me. So please tell me: Am I important to you as well?"

"Yes, my lord."

"Do you like me?"

"Yes, my lord."

"Do you love me?"

Sebastian gulped. "Yes, my lord."

"Why?"

"You fascinate me. You are the cruelest and most vicious human being I have ever met, but still brilliant. Any demon would be fascinated by that."

The young master smirked satisfied with this answer, removed his hand from his butler's cheek and instead came nearer to cuddle at his sight, the boy's head finally resting on the demon's chest.

Sebastian's shock grew, but so did his good mood. He knew that in nearly all societies all over the world it was wrong to be in love with a boy this young, but he didn't care – he was the devil, he had already done way worse. So he put his arms around Ciel's torso, pleased with the whole situation, and stroked through his hair.

It took the young master only seconds to fall asleep, the first happy smile on his face since his parents had died.

THE END.


End file.
